Among the more recent approaches to the therapy of eighth nerve disorders is that of the administration of vitamins, more specifically the use of the various factors of the vitamin B complex. Of these, vitamin B1, or thiamine hydrochloride, by virtue of being considered the "anti-neuritic" vitamin, has received the greatest attention both in the medical and in the lay press.
In ascertaining the efficacy of any treatment, scientific control of the results is essential. A series of cases of deafness comparable without treatment may serve as the control for the series of cases with treatment. If the defect is bilateral and only one ear is treated, as in surgical operation for deafness, the untreated ear furnishes the best control. In a case of long-standing chronic deafness, the previous course may in itself be taken as the control period.
In the treatment of deafness, it is necessary to recognize the